Fire

How do you make a fire?

Fuel, heat, oxygen and a chemical chain reaction

How do you put out a fire?

Eliminate one of the following: fuel, heat, oxygen and a chemical chain reaction

What is a Class A fire?

Solids

Paper, wood, cloth, batteries

What is a Class B fire

Liquids

Gas, oil, paint, alcohol, varnish

What is a Class C fire

Electrical

Energized electrical equipment

What is a class D fire?

Metal

Magnesium, sodium, potassium

How does fire spread?

Convection, conduction, radiation,

What is convection?

heat travels through moving air or liquids (e.g., hot smoke rising to decks above).

What is conduction?

heat travels through direct contact (e.g., a hot metal wall).

What is radiation?

heat travels as energy waves without direct contact (e.g., feeling heat from a fire across a room).

What is Boundary Cooling?

is used as a supplement to direct attack on the fire to reduce temperature. For instance, boundary cooling includes water sprays, "misting", on the decks and bulkheads to reduce the heat and chance of spreading.

CO2 Fire Extinguisher

• Class B (Liquids) and C fires (Electrical)

• Has a cone

• Displaces the oxygen

• Contains carbon dioxide – do not inhale.

• Very cold due to change in state on exit (liquid to gas) so your hand could freeze to the metal

• We don’t have any on the boats because it’s unsafe in an enclosed space.

Dry Chemical Fire Extinguisher

• Class B (Liquids) and C fires (Electrical)

• No cone

• Has a gauge

• Needs to be agitated to prevent the dry chemical from settling

• Smoothers the fire and cuts off the oxygen at the fuel source

• A rating of 60BC means it can handle a 60 square metre class B and C fire

• 2 onboard CIII, BR, TL, LL, SB, MS, JA and 5 Onboard CP & LB)

Location on Canoe Cove boats (not big boats):

• 1 at the helm beside the captain’s chair

• 1 on the aft deck

Fixed Flooding System/Smothering System: FM200 (heptafluoropropane)

• Designed to rapidly extinguish fires by removing one or more of the essential elements of the fire tetrahedron: heat, fuel, oxygen, and the chemical chain reaction

• Is a gaseous agent that works primarily by interrupting the chemical chain reaction of combustion. This means it cools the fire at a molecular level. 

• The result is a highly effective, fast-acting, and, importantly, clean fire suppression method that leaves behind no residue.

• Location: on the bulkhead of the engine room.

Rate of Rise for Fixed Flooding system

Thermal Detectors measure the rate at which the air temperature changes during a fire event. They provide a faster alarm response than measuring the temperature level in a space. These detectors complement smoke detectors and other fire detection systems.

About how much extinguisher do you have in a fire extinguisher per second?

you have one second of use per pound of extinguisher.  So, a ten-pound extinguisher will last approximately ten seconds.   

Fire buckets

• Rounded on the bottom and has hole(s) in the bottom which prevents them from being used for something else. 

• The rounded bottom also results in a strong, direct stream of water when the water is thrown at the fire. The rounded-bottom bucket is far more efficient in launching the water at the fire than a flat bottom bucket.

• The line must be long enough to hit the water.

• Three on each boat (one in the bow, two in the last compartment before the engine).

Fire pump

• Located at the stern

• The fire pump is not required by TC but because we have one, it is our responsibility to make sure it is in good-working order.

• In the early season (May) and at end of the season (October), maintenance fills the lines with anti-freeze.

Fire in the Bow Compartment Procedure

Radio base status and location 

Calm passengers and assist with life jackets 

Turn stern to wind 

Move the first three rows of passengers back

If it is an electrical fire, turn off the main power switch located at the helm 

If the fire is small, use the fire extinguisher(s) 

If the fire is big, use the fire pump

• What’s the risk when you use the pump?  Flooding the boat 

Prepare to abandon ship 

Fire in the Engine Room Procedure

1. Radio base status and location and tell them you’re pulling the fixed flooding system

2. Calm passengers and assist with life jackets

3. Turn bow to wind 

4. Close dampers 

5. Turn off the engines at the helm and if you’re able to, turn off the main switches

6. Turn off the fuel – 3 levers: Port, Starboard and Proheat (fuel goes to power the heater)

7. Pull the fixed flooding system 

8. Prepare to abandon ship 

Taking on Water in Any Compartment Procedure:

1. Radio base status and location 

2. Calm passengers and assist with life jackets 

3. Check all compartments  

4. If water is found, start bilging the compartment(s)

5. Tour guide - kick off the life raft (at your discretion) but do not inflate right away

6. While bilging, clean the strum box if it gets plugged

7. Begin bailing with fire buckets 

8. Prepare to be rescued and/or abandon ship

9. If no water is found, continue to reassess the situation by checking each compartment

How many lifejackets do we have

We must have enough for all crew and passengers (+ 10% of the capacity in children’s lifejackets…but we carry 15 actual lifejackets, not 10%)

Difference between lifejackets and PFDs?

Lifejackets will flip you over if you’re unconscious

What can you find on standard lifejackets

Standard life jackets have reflector tape and a whistle (this is what we carry)

How are rafts stored?

1. Float free 

2. We keep it on the roof in a cradle  

3. Three drainage holes in the bottom of the canister (drain any water from condensation so the raft will not rot

What is on the life raft label?

1. Type of raft

2. Capacity

3. The type of pack

4. When the raft needs to be re-inspected

5. When the CO2 canisters were last tested

What kind of things can you find in a life raft pack

2 paddles 1 knife 

1 whistle 1first aid kit 

1 or 2 pumps 6 anti-seasickness tablets 

1 repair kit 1 seasick bag/person 

1 or more bailers 1 drinking cup 

2 sponges 2 parachute rocket flares 

3 hand flares  2 pressure relief valves

1 coit (baby life ring) 1 heliograph signal mirror

1 smoke float  1 flashlight with spare batteries/bulbs  

How often do life rafts need to be inspected

every year

How often do CO2 canisters, which inflate the raft, need to be hydrostatically tested?

every 5 years

What is  Hydrostatic Release?

• Releases the raft from the cradle to allow it to float free

• This happens between 1.5 and 4 meters underwater

• Great for when you can’t get up there to release it yourself

What is a weak link on a life raft?

This breaks to release the inflated raft from the cradle.

What happens if you can’t get up to the boat to release the life raft yourself?

1. Boat sinks

2. At 1.5 – 4 meters, hydrostatic release releases the canister from the cradle

3. Canister floats up to 4 meters

4. After canister floats up for 30 meters (i.e., length of painter line but could be longer, read the life raft label), raft inflates

5. Inflated raft, still attached to boat, begins to sink

6. Too much pressure for weak link to handle. It breaks. Life raft is free.

What is the Bowsing Line?

It is used to connect many rafts together when being rescued. It is the other rope on the opposite side of the painter line, this is the bowsing line, it is labeled. Be sure that you are pulling the painter line and NOT the bowsing line

• We do not use it but know its purpose

Abandoning Ship Procedure

1. Radio Base status and location   

2. Continue to calm and organize passengers   

3. Put on a life jacket, go up on the roof

4. Check over the side for flotsam or other survivors 

5. Throw the life raft overboard  

6. Pull all 30 meters of painter line and give it a sharp tug.  If it only partially inflates, give it a second sharp tug, this will activate the second CO2 canister.   

7. Bring the raft to the side of the vessel  

8. Get the ladder, blanket and first aid kit, take off everyone’s shoes and load the raft to capacity, ensuring they have no sharp objects with them. This is done by the guide (first mate) the captain should stay at the helm/by the radio.

9. Check for stragglers 

10. Take a headcount in the raft, communicate this # to Captain

11. Radio base to let them know you are leaving the vessel, tell them the raft headcount 

12. Cut the painter line with enough slack to tie it to another vessel

13. Propel the raft away from the sinking vessel   

14. Stream the drogue (sea anchor)

15. Treat for hypothermia   

16. Check the integrity of the raft thoroughly 

17. Post lookouts 

What is the 1-10-1 rule?

1 minute: Control breathing (cold shock).
10 minutes: Meaningful movement lost (cold incapacitation).
1 hour: Possible unconsciousness from hypothermia.

What is cold shock?

• 1 minute

• Sudden gasp and rapid breathing when entering cold water.

• Keep your airway clear and avoid panicking.

• Focus on controlling your breathing.

• A life jacket is critical during this phase.

What is Cold Incapacitation

• 10 minutes

• You gradually lose the use of your hands, arms, and legs.

• Attempt self-rescue immediately.

• If self-rescue isn't possible, focus on keeping your airway above water.

• Without a life jacket, drowning is likely once swimming ability is lost.

What is Hypothermia?

• It may take about 1 hour before unconsciousness from hypothermia occurs.

• Stay afloat, conserve energy, call for help, and use heat-conservation techniques.

• Understanding hypothermia and self-rescue greatly improves survival chances.

What is a Boat Hook and where is it found?

• Either located on the aft deck or the roof of the vessel.

• Used to retrieve people or objects from the water.

• No requirement as to its length. 

Life Rings (Kisby Rings)

• Designed to float even when four people wearing life jackets are holding on

• We are required to have four life rings on our boats (2 on the roof, 2 on the back deck)

• Two with light (light is stored upside down, lights up when flipped over)

• Two with line (15.25 meters of buoyant heaving line – yellow, 3 strand polypropelene)

• Must all be stored float free

• Must have reflector tape

• Must have name of the vessel and its port of registry, not necessarily on both sides (can be cross referenced with Transport Canada registry info)

• Diameter of 762 mm

Anderson Turn aka Person Overboard​

1. Give Person Overboard sound signal (3 prolonged blasts)

2. Turn hard into fall and decelerate 

3. Approach slowly from the victim’s leeward side (the side sheltered or away from the wind). \

4. Put the engine closest to the victim in neutral by the time they are at midship to allow the prop to stop spinning (but do not turn the engine off!) 

5. Radio base with status and location 

6. Return to base